Focus on Reading 2.0 - Week 1 - Re-reads

[Joanne]

I wanted to make sure to honor Fran (BnB) by continuing on with these great discussions. That being said:

Have you re-read a book(s) at different stages in your life and found the book
not what you remember? Rated it lower? Enjoyed it more?

note this question could have been asked before, I don't remember them all. If it has, my apologies.

[Book Concierge]

Well, I've re-read To Kill a Mockingbird dozens of times and it seems that each time I find something new to marvel at.

But other books I've re-read I enjoyed more on second reading (a recent example is Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft) and increased my rating.

And others I liked less, though I usually leave my original rating alone in those cases. I figure there was something about it that spoke to me the first time I read it, so I don't rate it lower.

[Patricia]

I've remembered a book that I've re-read before like Heartstopper: Volume One and Bloom and I both enjoyed reading them. I don't usually re-read books but sometimes I re-read graphic novel books:)

[Robin P]

Thanks for taking this on, Joanne! It's fine if there ends up being repeats in the questions. We probably won't remember, or we have new examples.

When I reread as an adult classics I had read in school (Dickens, Hardy, George Eliot), I got much more out of them. As a teenager with a sheltered life, questions of passion, struggle, oppression, etc. kind of went over my head. On the other hand, as a teenager I loved Gone with the Wind, the book and movie, and that's rather disturbing to me today. Some books that were super popular in my college years (The Prophet, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Love Story) would probably make me cringe today. I think I would avoid rereading some books I loved as a child because I wouldn't want to take a chance of ruining the experience.

When I reread Little Women as an adult, I was a bit put off by the preachiness of some parts but also delighted by some humorous scenes that have been left out of all the movies (Jo tries to make dinner, with disastrous results.)

I gave Ordinary Grace 4 stars but when I reread it with a group and saw more how well it was put together and how effective it was, I increased it to 5.

I don't reread much because - so many books, too little time!

[Meli]

I almost NEVER re-read, but I always intend to 😂
For one, I started reading later in life (college), so I've kind of had less time to re-read. And second, I have like 4 book clubs and it's rare a book I've already read comes up.

I re-read Little Fires Everywhere for a book club, but I did the audio the 2nd time. And I re-read Let The Right One In because I loved it so much and at the time had no other reading obligations. I also re-read Frankenstein for a buddy read.

So, those are a few times I can remember.

I would love to re-read more.
In particular I'd like to go back and read things I enjoyed in the past or classics at different points in my life to see how they stand up to an older Me.

[Joanne]

Robin P wrote: "Thanks for taking this on, Joanne! "

Oh!
I am not claiming ownership-LoL anyone is welcome to post a topic, I just thought I would get us started

[Sue]

I've been open to some re-reads recently.

I read Chesapeake back when it first came out in the 1970s. After reading that book, I always wanted to visit the area that Michener describes with so much warmth.

A few years ago, I got my chance. I decided to re-read the book prior to my visit, and I'm so glad I did.

The best part was viewing a live "re-enactment" of the original cover - an orange sunrise over the Chesapeake Bridge, with a flock of geese flying in the sky.

On my last day in the area, I was treated to that identical scene live - right down to the shade of orange in the sky. I have goosebumps again just remembering that moment.

[Joy D]

I rarely re-read just because my TBR is so long, but I have recently been thinking I should re-read books I read in my youth to see if my outlook on them has changed.

One I definitely plan to re-read at some point is Animal Farm.

Sometimes I "accidentally" re-read a book when I can't remember if I read it before. This happened a couple years ago with The March. Now that I have GR to help me keep track of them it happens less often.

[~*Kim*~]

I've never reread anything. There are too many books on my wish list. LOL!

[Booknblues]

I have an extremely long tbr and I'm always finding books I want to read, so I really don't re-read. I have in the past and when I did, I found something new in the book.

However I did a few re-reads a decade ago and found them much less pleasant to do, because of my changing perspective.

[Anita]

I rarely re-read - - mostly out of fear that I just won't see whatever it was I saw in the book the first time around. For example, The Secret History is a book I recall LOVING as a young college student, but I am afraid if I re-read it now, I might not like it.

However, there are certain epic type books I can see re-reading i.e. Lord of the Rings, or any Michener book. Also, I find non-fiction stands up better to a re-read than fiction for me. I recently re-visited The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics for a book club read, and totally enjoyed it just as much if not more than the first go around.

I also could envision re-reading books that are series, but reading the books back to back to back to get a richer sense of the continuity of the story that I might not have gotten when the books were staggered.

[Sallys]

I don't reread. Too much out there that I have yet to get to.

[Holly R W]

What an interesting topic! Like many others here, it's rare that I find myself re-reading a book. Whenever I do this, it does seem that my reactions are different than when I originally read it. I've changed and the times have changed. Here are some re-reads of mine:

"Little Women" - Like Robin, I was surprised at how preachy the writing is. Didn't like it as much.

"My Name is Asher Lev" - Years ago, I read it from the point of view of the son (the artist). More recently, I identified with his mother and understood her love and sorrow for him. I was very moved when reading it for the 2nd time.

"The House of the Spirits" - Recently, I was stunned by how violent the book is. I don't remember being bothered by this years ago when I first read it.

[Joanne]

I currently have a copy of The Caine Mutiny that I am planning to re-read. It is a beautiful older copy published by Readers Digest, with illustrations. I rarely re-read, but this is one for a challenge. I remember loving it, so I hope it that holds true

[Amy]

I don’t know if I mentioned this the last time, but I reread when I have accidentally started a series in the middle, and I want to place them in order. Get the full context. Like for instance my very first Philippa Gregory was the queens fool. Eventually I read six or seven of them but they were not in the right order. At a certain point I realize that I would know my history better and be able to better follow the story if I started at the beginning. So I began at the beginning and as she was writing She filled some books in as I went. Eventually I read all 15 in order. But the same thing happened with the shadow of the wind series. Although people say you should start with the shadow of the wind, and then go back to the rose of fire short story, and then start with number one, and then end with four. I did not reread with the Alice Hoffman magic series. And I sort of regret that. But I was able to piece together the story over the four books. But to me that is when a re-reading is necessary, is when you have been out of order in a series and you want to make the whole thing sing in a narrative.

[Theresa]

I do reread, a few books a year. But each reread has a different purpose, a different reason behind it. I never find it a waste even if my opinion on it has downgraded it, though that is less often than thinking as highly or more about a book. Examples:

Reread for bookclub or other group read. I belong to one IRL bookclub, Feminerdy. Last weekend we discussed Martha Wells' 3rd and 4th Murderbot novellas. I had already read #3 months ago but reread it and boy did I pick up on some really cool subplots and themes on the reread that I totally missed the first time. We all decided during discussion to reread all 4 in the series in order and have an inofficial chat about them as a set. I agree with all who said that rereading in order or once all volumes in a series are published has real value.

@Robin - I did a reread of GWTW with a couple of friends a few years ago - we had all read it as teens, and one day I mentioned how I always thought it being called a great romance was a misnomer, even when a teen. We decided to reread, discuss, and watch the movie to compare. It held up quite well, confirmed my belief it is not a love story, that was only to sell movie tickets, and in fact it is an antiwar novel, and a portrait of the death of a way of life, one that deserved to at least change if not be killed by the extremities of a civil war. It was well worth a reread.

Reread of comfort reads or seasonal reads. Frederica and Rest You Merry never disappoint.

Reread because don't remember, or I know I was either too young or insufficiently read and educated for it when first read or a new translation/edition or new/restored - Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, Madame Bovary the Lydia Davis translation. I have it in mind to reread The Magic Mountain and The Glass Bead Game as I definitely did not have enough age, wisdom, or knowledge when I read them at 19.

Rereading a series. This is rare but does happen especially in anticipation of a long delayed new book in serie like A Song of Ice and Fire - on 3rd reread of some, 2nd on rest. I am almost through a Harry Potter series reread. LOTR I have reread 3 times in my life, last time being 21 years ago. Each reread brings so many rewards! First time you read you are just consumed with what happens next. Next read so much detail and info are revealed, because I ame reading it as a whole not just anxious to see how ends. What catches my attention changes with each reread, changes a lot, even to the characters whose plot lines keep me reading.

Rereading because some new read reminds you of an old. Several books recently have made me realize I need to reread some Dickens.

In audio. I dislike audiobooks unless a reread, and then on long trips or suffering insomnia.

Not all books deserve a reread.

I rarely downgrade, but it happens. One recent reread of Sense and Sensibility had me downgrading it and reshuffling it down my ranking of Austen's works.

[Shelly]

I don' reread very often. As many others have said, so many books, so little time! But there are some, for various reasons. Two come to mind that I recently reread:
I read A Farewell to Arms in HS and loved it. I kept that book on my bookshelf for almost 50 years and finally reread it a few months ago. I didn't love it but definitely appreciated it.
I also reread Dune for the 3rd time before seeing the movie but probably 40+ years since I read it. And I loved it even more! Knowing the story allowed me to focus on the genius of Frank Herbert and its geopolitical relevance today.

[Heather Reads Books]

I also don't reread very much – there's a lot of books I think a reread now that I'm older and more experienced might be beneficial, but I rarely act upon it... the TBR list is so long as it is!

A few books I have reread I loved tho. A Song of Ice and Fire comes to mind, of course – each read I find something new there, and I'm on my third go-around.

I have also reread The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood at least five times over the years. I'm not sure any book has been as formative an experience for me. That was a book I first read at about 18 and said, "I want to be able to write like that." That book is flawless, in my opinion.

Another book I have reread a few times is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's been awhile since I've done it, but I think I've read it three or four times and again, it's another book where you get more out of it each time. Though less poignant than Handmaid's Tale; I just think it's a fun ghost story with a lot of playful metaphysical stuff going on.

[Theresa]

A Barnard friend just posted this on my FB feed! I find this so true.

[Meli]

That's the reason I would like to re-read more than I do!

[Joanne]

That was the post (on FB) that I used for my question on my Fantasy group-thus leading to posting it here.